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Happy 50th birthday, Michelle Obama!

After five years in the White House, Michelle Obama turns 50 on Jan. 17, so it's time to look back at her memorable moments. Turns out they were a lot less controversial, and a lot more pop-cultural, than what had been anticipated.

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Happy 50th birthday, Michelle Obama!

After five years in the White House, Michelle Obama turns 50 on Jan. 17, so it's time to look back at her memorable moments. Turns out they were a lot less controversial, and a lot more pop-cultural, than what had been anticipated. Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images

Remember them? This was the first lady, with husband Barack and children Sasha and Malia, in 2004 in Chicago, way before he was thinking about running for president.
She wasn't all that keen on living in the White House bubble at first but she's embraced it since, becoming a valuable, non-threatening representative of her husband's administration. One tactic she follows: Don't give too many media interviews and don't talk policy. For her birthday, she sat down with 'People' to chat about shifting to more yoga in her workout routine, plus her thoughts about Botox, menopause and becoming a grandmother. M. Sprencer Green, AP

For many Americans, "first lady" and "inaugural gown" go together. Michelle Obama did not disappoint in this regard, displaying early on how important her style choices would be to American fashion. This combo image shows her Inaugural Ball gowns in 2009 and 2013, both by designer Jason Wu. Now both gowns have gone to the Smithsonian to star in the 100th anniversary of its first ladies exhibition. Martin, Monsivais, AP

The first lady, in a midnight-blue dress by Reed Krakoff, holds her family Bible as her husband is officially sworn in on Jan. 20, 2013, in the Blue Room of the White House. The ceremonial inauguration, including another swearing-in, took place the next day at the Capitol and on the National Mall. Larry Downing, AP

One of the first things Obama did as first lady that got worldwide attention was start a White House kitchen garden, the first since the wartime Roosevelt administration. Every fall for five years, she's out there in her gardening clothes with local schoolchildren harvesting the goodies for use in the White House kitchens, as part of her Let's Move campaign to encourage healthy eating and exercise for all. Here she's harvesting sweet potatoes in October 2013, after announcing that "Sesame Street" characters will help promote and market fresh fruit and vegetables by growers, suppliers and retailers. Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images

If she's not gardening on the White House lawn, she's jumping or running, all in the service of Let's Move. Here's another history-making moment, in October 2011, when she and a huge crowd of schoolchildren performed jumping jacks on the South Lawn to help break the Guiness World Records title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period. Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images

She was fleet of foot here in May 2010 when she went running on the South Lawn to kick-off the South Lawn Series promoting a Lets Move campaign to get kids moving and engaged in physical activities during the summer. Carolyn Kaster, AP

Mrs. O, is that you? If she thought a baseball cap and sunglasses would disguise her at Target, she was wrong. She went shopping at the Alexandria, Va., store in September 2011, standing in line with everyone else with a cart full of purchases. She was caught on camera by an AP photographer who "happened" to be there. Critics scoffed it was media manipulation to mitigate a "diva" image. But she once told Oprah that shopping anonymously was one of the pastimes she most missed in Washington. Charles Dharapak, AP

State dinners are where first ladies get to shine, as Mrs. Obama has done repeatedly in five years. Here's just one where she stood out: At the state dinner for China in January 2011, she paid homage to the guest country by wearing a lush red Alexander McQueen gown to greet Chinese President Hu Jintao. Win McNamee, Getty Images

Strong colors suit the first lady. Here, at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2013, she wows in a dramatic strapless Marchesa gown in teal, with a flowing skirt and fitted bodice. Pool photo via Getty Images

A star in high-end couture, she's just as memorable in mid-range brands familiar to millions of Americans, such as J.Crew. Here, in October 2008, just before her husband was elected president, she chats with Jay Leno on 'The Tonight Show' while wearing a canary yellow J. Crew ensemble. "You can get some good stuff online," she told Leno. Kevork Djansezian, AP

Speaking of style choices, her hair was almost as remarked upon as that of former first lady Hillary Clinton. The gasps were heard round the world when, in January 2013, right before the second Inauguration, she suddenly turned up with bangs. We first learned of it when her office tweeted this photo of her greeting David Hall, one of eight citizen co-chairs for the inauguration, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House. Later, she said she was amazed and amused at the reaction, joking that the fringe was her way of expressing a "mid-life crisis" since "they won't let me bungee jump." Lawrence Jackson, White House via AP

Mrs. Obama has been a regular on daytime and late-night chat shows, where she has promoted her healthy eating-and-exercise campaign. But this one was unforgettable. She and Jimmy Fallon of 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,' here dressed as a mom, danced in a skit they called the "Evolution of Mom Dancing" in February 2013. Pretty sure no first lady has ever done this before. Lloyd Bishop, AP

Another rare moment for a first lady: Mrs. Obama announced the award for best picture at the 85th Academy Awards in February 2013. She appeared live from the White House, beamed by satellite to the ceremony in Los Angeles where actor Jack Nicholson presented the award on stage. There was some conservative criticism that she was inappropriately "crashing" the Oscar party, even though Laura Bush did the same in 2002, but Mrs. O was unruffled. Chris Pizzello, Invision via AP

It's not all state dinners for a first lady. Obama holds a plate of food while walking down the school lunchline at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, in January 2012. She visited the school with celebrity chef Rachael Ray to highlight the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new nutrition standards for school lunches. Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images

No event at the White House is ever too small for her to promote one of her causes, in this case education. Here she's with White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and other members of the kitchen staff to greet students from L'Academie de Cuisine as they preview meals for a dinner with state governors in February 2009. Haraz N. Ghanbari, AP

Mrs. Obama started a new tradition, the Kids' State Dinner, which is actually a lunch at the White House using some of the winning healthy recipes submitted by kids from every state. Here, at the August 2012 event, she joins Illana Gonzalez-Evans, from Washington, at one of the tables. Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

Halloween at the White House is a beloved tradition (except for 2012 after Hurricane Sandy) and the Obamas have taken to it with enthusiasm. Here in their first, in October 2009, Mrs. Obama even donned cat ears to go with her leopard-print blouse as she passed out treats to the children of military families and White House staff in the East Room. Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images

She couldn't do it without her mom. When the Obamas moved into the White House, they invited her mother, Marian Robinson, to move in, too, to help with the girls. Ever since, she's been a reassuring presence, often participating in the first lady's activities. Here, she at the table as her daughter chats with a member of her young women mentoring program in May 2010. Alex Wong, Getty Images

The first lady has been savvy about enlisting her famous friends and admirers to help promote her causes. Few are more beloved than 'Sesame Street' characters such as Big Bird, here in the White House kitchen to film a public service announcement about eating healthy. AP

Then she enlisted 'Sesame Street' characters Elmo, left, and Rosita, to help promote fresh fruit and vegetables to kids in an event in the State Dining Room of the White House in October 2013. Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

Even more famous than Bert and Ernie are Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who met with President and Mrs. Obama at Buckingham Palace during their state visit in May 2011, just a month after the royal wedding in April. Toby Melville, AFP/Getty Images

The first lady shined, even next to the jewel-bedecked Queen Elizabeth II, during their state visit to Britain in May 2011. Here, she and President Obama greet the monarch at Winfield House, the residence of the U.S. ambassador, in Regent's Park, the night after a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. WPA Pool via Getty Images

So maybe we're partial to royals, but they may be the only humans on the planet just as famous as POTUS and FLOTUS. Here, Mrs. O greets Prince Harry at the White House on the first day of his visit to the United States in May 2013. WPA Pool via Getty Images

The first lady has appeared with so many stars (Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington, Jada Pinkett Smith, Oprah, Taylor Swift, David Beckham) it's hard to keep track. But no one is shiner than the other queen, Beyonce, who sang at both inaugurations. The two have a mutual admiration thing going; Mrs. Obama has said if she could be anyone else, it would be Bey. So it's not surprising that Beyonce is rumored to perform at the Jan. 18 birthday dance party for FLOTUS at the White House. Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images

Soon after arriving, the first lady got a friend in Washington: the First Family's beloved Bo, the Portuguese water dog. The puppy was supposed to be a present for her daughters but he and FLOTUS have formed a tight bond; she once joked he was the son she never had. She brings him anywhere she thinks he'll do some good, such as here, at Children's National Medical Center in Washington in December 2012, when he jumped in her lap as she spoke to the kids. A few years later, another Porty puppy, Sunny, arrived at the White House, but Bo will always be first with the first lady. Mark Wilson, Getty Images

It only looks like rambunctious puppy Sunny pushed two-year-old toddler Ashtyn Gardner during the White House Christmas decorations party as Mrs. Obama pulled him back, in December 2013, but the video tells a different story. Neither suffered any harm and the two were soon making up nose to nose. Jim Watson AFP/Getty Images

Yes, that's Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa doing push-ups with the first lady during an event to raise awareness for HIV prevention in Cape Town, South Africa, in June 2011. Charles Dharapak, AFP/Getty Images

She's met scores of world leaders but maybe the most affecting for her was meeting Nelson Mandela in June 2011. Accompanied by Malia and Sasha, she had a private visit with him at the former South African president's home in Houghton, South Africa. They were looking at some of Mandela's personal papers at his foundation when, according to White House officials, he sent word that he wanted to meet them. Debbie Yazbek,Nelson Mandela Foundation via AP

Does she look peeved? Maybe not. As the British prime minister, Danish prime minister and POTUS took a selfie at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa in December 2013, Mrs. Obama seemed far away, even though she is no stranger to the selfie craze. Later, the selfie stars were criticized for "inappropriate" behavior during a memorial, while FLOTUS was praised for her dignity. The truth, according to the photographer, is that everyone was smiling during the celebratory event for the iconic South African leader. Roberto Schmidt, AFP/Getty Images

The girls are growing up, the president is graying, and Mrs. Obama looks remarkably the same in this shot in December 2013, as the family watched the Oregon State University vs University of Akron college basketball game at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Michelle's brother, Craig Robinson, is the coach of Oregon State. The first family was in his home state of Hawaii for their annual holiday vacation. When the president and the girls returned to Washington, she stayed behind for a few days - as a present for her 50th birthday. Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images